Goring/Ferring and West Worthing, 18th December 2017

Starting the day with an hour long seawatch off Goring Gap, a Shelduck, four Wigeon, three Common Scoters, 10 Red-breasted Mergansers, 36 Red-throated Divers, eight Gannets and four Great Crested Grebes were noted offshore. Four Mediterranean Gulls were present. A Curlew flew east but other waders were not properly counted today, partly because the high tide roost had been pushed off by disturbance.

At Ferring Rife, four Water Rails were noted and other sightings included a Little Egret, two Grey Herons, 17 Moorhens, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, 12 Redwings, a female Stonechat, a Mistle Thrush, a Green Woodpecker and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

At home in West Worthing, a Fieldfare was heard flying over the house in the darkness. I think this is the first time that I have recorded this species as a nocturnal migrant, not that I've been much effort into this!

Water Rail at Ferring Rife

Little Egret at Ferring Rife